Hi,

This is one of the oldest American versions and has been traced to Big Sammy Hicks (1753-1835) from three separate North Carolina sources-- one is from Jane Hicks Gentry who sang her version for Sharp in 1916 (Two Sisters, Sharp A, EFSSA). The chorus: Gilley flower gent the roseberry, is derived from (Gilleyflower gentle, rosemary) which A. G. Gilchrist wrote about in "A Note on the 'Herb' and Other Refrains":

The curious "Jury flower gent the rose berry" of one of Mr. Sharp's Appalachian songs, though at first sight a much decayed form, probably comes quite near the original in sound if not sense, for" gelofir gent " is a description, c. 1500, of the gilliflower. The line runs, in more intelligible versions, Gilliflower gentle and rosemary. The line "Gilliflower gentle or rosemary" occurs in a lyric by Sir Thomas Philipps (temp. Henry VIII) in company with "Marjoram gentle or lavender" and "Camomile, borage, or savory.

If Big Sammy got the ballad when he lived along Tuckahoe Creek (St. James River, Goochland County) in Virginia, as it would seem, the ballad would date to the first part of the 1700s in Virginia through his source.

This version is from Nora Hicks of Mast's Gap, North Carolina who got the ballad from Fanny Hicks (1837–1914), who was Big Sammy's granddaughter on her father's side.

The Two Sisters, Variant 1- sung by Mrs. Nora Hicks. It was copied down by Addie Hicks and given to Abrams by Edith Walker about 1939. The correct refrain was written out only in stanza 12.

1. There was two sisters loved one man,
Gilley slaver gent the roseberry,
The youngest one he loved first,
Till the jury hangs over the roseberry.

2. As they were walking by the brook,
Gilley slaver gent the roseberry
The old one pushed the young one in
Till the jury hangs over the roseberry.

3. Sister, sister give me your hand,
Gilley slaver gent the roseberry
And you may have all my land
Till the jury hangs over the roseberry.

4. Sister, sister give me your glove
Gilley slaver gent the roseberry
And you may have the one I love
Till the jury hangs over the Roseberry.

5. She floated up she floated down
Gilley slaver gent the roseberry,
She floated in to the miller's pond,
Till the jury hangs over the roseberry.

6. Out run the miller with his long hook,
Gilley slaver gent the roseberry
He drew this fair woman out of the brook,
Till the jury hangs over the roseberry.

7. It ain't a fish nor it ain't a swan
Gilley slaver gent the roseberry
He picked her up and threw her back,
Till the jury hangs over the roseberry.

8. She floated up and she floated down
Gilley slaver gent the roseberry
She floated in to the harper's pond
Till the jury hangs over the Rose Berry

9. Out run the harper with his long hook
Gilley slaver gent the roseberry
He drew this fair woman out at the brook
Till the jury hangs over the Rose berry.

10. It ain't a fish nor it ain't a swan,
Gilley slaver gent the roseberry
It is a fair woman in my pond,
Till the jury hangs over the roseberry.

11. What will we make out of her breast bone so fine,
Gilley slaver gent the roseberry?
We will make us a new fiddle to play on
All the jury hangs over the roseberry.

12. What will we make out of her fingers so small
Gilley flower gent the roseberry,
We will make us some new screws to play on
Till the jury hangs over the Rose

13. What will we make out of her hair so long
Gilley slaver gent the roseberry,
we will make us some new strings to play on
Till the jury hangs over the roseberry.

14. Up then spoke the first string,
Gilley slaver gent the roseberry
Was my sister that pushed me in,
Till the jury hangs over the roseberry.

15. Up then spoke the next string,
Gilley slaver gent the roseberry,
It was the miller who threw me back
Till the jury hangs over the roseberry.

16. The miller was hung on the gallows so high,
Gilley slaver gent the roseberry,
The sister was burnt at a stake there by,
Till the jury hangs over the roseberry.

* * * *

The importance is that this is a variant of the old English version of Parsons 1770 near Kent but with an archaic chorus and resuscitation stanzas. Nora Hicks version is virtually unknown and was taken from the Abrams Collection at App State in MS form. It's considerably better than Jane Gentry's version that she got from her grandfather Council Harmon probably in the late 1800s. Council lived with his grandfather Big Sammy at Beech Mountain when he was a child after his father died when a tree fell on him when Council was about 8 and his mother, Sabra was widowed and unable to provide for her four small children. Later in life, Council (Counce) lived with Gentry for a time. He was one of the main sources of ballads and Jack tales in the family.

Richie